'Green' team seeks grants for Lunenburg projects

LUNENBURG -- The Green Communities Task Force has identified nearly two dozen projects in town that could be revamped with the help of a green-communities grant from the state.

David Blatt, chairman of the Green Communities Task Force, presented the task force's recommendations at the selectmen's meeting Tuesday night. The task force is applying to the state for grants eligible to communities that have been designated as green by the state.

The places the task force is targeting first include:

* Library (replacing lights with LED's).

* Public-safety building (replacing lights with LEDs and conducting a feasibility study to convert the building's heating system from oil to natural gas ).

* Town Hall (covering to LED lights inside and outside and tightening insulation and the envelope of the building).

* Primary School (improving air circulation, replacing an air compressor and envelope tightening).

* Department of Public Works (converting to a waste-oil burner).

* Townwide (data logger to test and analyze present equipment).

The cost of the energy-efficient improvements is slated to cost $175,750 and the task force is anticipating getting a grant of $154,510. In total, the town would pay the $420 balance.

Blatt is also anticipating $20,820 of energy incentives being brought into the town as a result of the changes.

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The improvements are being praised by selectmen, saying in the grand scheme of the town's budget, paying less than $500 for the improvements is a win-win situation for the town.

Selectman Dave Matthews says the savings the projects would bring is incredible and that money could be put somewhere else in an already tight budget.

The town is eligible to apply for grants for energy upgrades annually and Matthews said he hopes to see one designated to the town hall in the future.

"I think they did a very good job of spreading the wealth and getting things done. Obviously we have a lot of work to do with the town hall and we need to address that soon," he said. "It's a deep well of need. Hopefully we can get that building insulated. That should save us a lot of money in energy savings. Since we're more committed to that building so we know we need to get started there."

"I think it was great in the thoroughness of their research," he said. "For them to find so many different projects in different buildings to tackle first is great. If there was one project in one building that would have a big impact on the other side, I'm sure they would have looked at that."

He complimented the work of the members of the task force for doing their due diligence.

"They did a fabulous job of researching everything and they're spreading the money around to do the most with what they are getting. I really compliment them for all the work they have done," he said.

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